What is an Aire?

[mfw]

I like the quiet places i can take dog but i do clean up after dog or use stick and flick into bushes so people dont tread in it - which is what annoys me with people - and always take my rubbish with me - NT parking at Devils punchbowl would be nice to spend night and it is close for me

 

[antiquesam]

My favourite spots are just places to park in nice surroundings and away from others. In Summer especially recently such places are becoming rarer.
I think that the initiative last year by Forestry and Land Scotland to use some of their car parks at night is the type of thing that would be a great way forward. I used a few myself, but such initiatives must have rules such as a maximum stay of perhaps 2 nights and nothing outside the vehicle, particularly fires and unfortunately such rules must be easily enforceable. In the few nights I stayed on them whilst the majority just parked I saw a campervan set up with chairs table and cooker outside and adjacent in a car park with no free parking spaces for those arriving to walk. I also saw the remains of fires which I think is reasonable to assume were set by overnight stayers. Elsewhere I saw motorhomes parked lengthways on beachside carparks to give the user a view from under their awning whilst taking up at least four spaces on the full car park.
Actions like those above would be best prevented by a few enforceable rules, leaving the facility available to responsible campervan and motorhome users. Unfortunately the easy way out is a blanket ban or height barriers, meaning that the vast majority suffer for the attitude of the few.
I find that many CL and CS sites are lovely, and certainly excellent value in many cases. The problem is that they have limited spaces and with high demand need to be booked in advance meaning that much of the freedom afforded by being in a motorhome is lost,

Out of town spots are nice, but wilding and CL's cover that pretty extensively. Even last year when we were allowed to venture out and most of the club sites were full I still found it pretty easy to find a certificated site in the area I was in. Just occasionaly though its nice to visit the bright lights, and go out at night and not worry about having a drink. Pandemic permtting.

 

[Fisherman]

There is no one idea or site that fits all, one mans favourite poi may be another mans least favourite. We are all different with different ideas, there is nothing smart in our personal preference, it’s simply that, our personal preference.

My fear is that if we do nothing we may end up like Portugal were ALL wild camping anywhere is now illegal. And for those who reckon that won’t happen, well that’s exactly what the Portuguese Motorhomers thought, and many from outside the country who used to wild camp there.

There were problems with overuse of beeches and other scenic locations, with idiots not clearing up after them. Locals carrying out night raids on motorhomes and tents. But Portugal does not have the carpark infrastructure we have, spaces are limited outside official campsites and aires.

How many times do you hear go to a campsite, I was even told to go to a hotel in St. Andrews. Just think that one day that may be your only option, no matter were you currently park up for the night, or how tidy you are. I am sure that most Motorhome owners in Portugal were considerate, but all it takes are two things to lead to what happened there.

A small minority of idiots, and local communities who have a natural bias against us no matter how considerate we are, to wind up their councils to take action against us. That’s exactly what happened in Portugal, and to some extent now in Cornwall.

This will go one of two ways the continental route of providing facilities, or the Portuguese route, and to some extent it’s up to us. I hope and reckon it will go the later route, but I don’t take this for grantid. However I don’t see Scotland ever going the way Portugal has, but you never know.

 

[mfw]

Always surprised me that people that can afford the large reasonably new Concorde motorhome park up and sit for days or longer on aires - if i could afford one of them i certainly would not park on aires i'd want a nice campsite even at £30+ a night

 

[barryd]

My ideal Aire is probably different to most. Im not fussed about parking on town aires and prefer something rural, well spaced out and away from it all. We have the scooter so no need to be in the thick of it. However I fully support the setting up of such aires in towns. You might say well just use the CL network and we have in the past but I much prefer the types of Private Aires you see in the likes of France, Germany and Italy on farms and the like. The trouble with CL sites is they are limited to five vans, you have to be a member of either club and you have to book. I much prefer the laid back approach in Europe where you just turf up and take pot luck.

The thought of going away in the van in the UK again this year does not excite me as its going to be another year of scrabbling for places. We have the same old bolt holes we can go to I guess but I dont think I would bother trying to tour, its going to be manic again (Assuming we are eventually let out). It would be great therefore if the rules were relaxed and pop up sites / CL type aires were allowed on farms etc. They did that here for the Tour de France a few years back and it was great although many in some areas totally took the piss on prices.

 

[UFO]

We prefer remote rural location most of the time but it is good to visit towns as part of the mix, so agree

my preference would be for them to be incorporated into 'park n rides' as the tarmac is already there and a bus into town for a visit would be good.

Any council considering this only needs to look at the MH facilities at Canterbury Park N Ride.

I much prefer the types of Private Aires you see in the likes of France, Germany and Italy on farms and the like

BritStops were aiming to fill this gap. We joined for a year but most of the stops were pubs where it is easy to ask and stop the night anyway. I don't know whether they have increased the number of non-pubs but if they have we would consider joining again.

 

[UFO]

Private Aires you see in the likes of France, Germany and Italy on farms and the like

and in Portugal https://portugaleasycamp.com/en/

 

[barryd]

They even provide a pop up site for the Gypsies just outside Barnard Castle every year when they are slowly making their way across country to Appleby Horse Fair. I dont know if they pay for it, probably not, I suspect I do. If they can do that for them why not us? Maybe councils that are pro active and get ahead of the game in anticipation of us all being let off the leash to travel again in the spring or early summer should start thinking about temporary Aires or sites for motorhomes, maybe even caravans also. If they are a success it might lead to longer term Aires.

I know those in the highlands are probably dreading the spring and summer now. The NC500 had big problems last year due to lack of facilities and irresponsible wild campers of all descriptions. Things have to open up a bit. The CL system whilst a really good one should be relaxed to take more vans. Ive been on CL sites where only five vans are allowed where the French would have had fifty vans on!

 

[mistericeman]

The CL system whilst a really good one should be relaxed to take more vans. Ive been on CL sites where only five vans are allowed where the French would have had fifty vans on!

50 vans would just be another campsite and thus make CL/CS system pointless...

The nice thing about CL/CS with only 5 pitches is exactly that...

 

[Biggarmac]

I know those in the highlands are probably dreading the spring and summer now. The NC500 had big problems last year due to lack of facilities and irresponsible wild campers of all descriptions. Things have to open up a bit. The CL system whilst a really good one should be relaxed to take more vans. Ive been on CL sites where only five vans are allowed where the French would have had fifty vans on!

Highland council have encouraged anyone with land to consider opening up for camping. There are planning applications in for service points at a few places in the Highlands. The Road to the Isles group crowdfunded toilet and waste disposal facilities at Mallaig. Findhorn are making what was a £10 donation chaos bookable and putting in a service point. Councils in the North of Scotland are working hard to provide facilities for motorhomes as they know how much trade they bring.

CLs are limited to 5 vans by law. Some of these sites have a CCC CS as well as a CMC CL. That is one way of getting more pitches. Some CL/CSs go for full planning as a campsite to get more pitches.

 

[trevskoda]

Always surprised me that people that can afford the large reasonably new Concorde motorhome park up and sit for days or longer on aires - if i could afford one of them i certainly would not park on aires i'd want a nice campsite even at £30+ a night

Any campsites here like Portrush are the most horrible place, drunks coming from pubs/dance halls shouting and smashing bottles, then there are the dogs barking nonstop, then the wife swapping etc or whatever seems to be going on, been on a few at Northwest 200 weekend and never again.

 

[antiquesam]

I'm afraid the Highlands have had no option but to increase facilities or risk getting buried in motorhomes. Unfortunately that doesn't yet seem to be the case south of border.

 

[mfw]

Any campsites here like Portrush are the most horrible place, drunks coming from pubs/dance halls shouting and smashing bottles, then there are the dogs barking nonstop, then the wife swapping etc or whatever seems to be going on, been on a few at Northwest 200 weekend and never again.

You missed Dogging

 

[Wooie1958]

You missed Dogging

Plenty of doggers on here, in fact some members have several of them

 

[Snapster]

We are lucky living in France, there are aires all over the place, the benefits of which are just being able to turn up on spec, stop the night or two, then go. We have more than 20 within a 20 mile radius of us, most of them free, all of them with service points. One has just been built a couple of Km from us.
CL’s and campsites in the UK are ok at a push, but it’s rare that you can just turn up for a night, most of them want you to book in advance and give them a time of arrival. Something we find it very difficult to do!

We use two aires regularly in the UK. Canterbury Park and Ride ( handy for crossing the channel with water and waste disposal) and Bury St Edmunds ( parking for 5 vans at £1 overnight )

 

[Fisherman]

I'm afraid the Highlands have had no option but to increase facilities or risk getting buried in motorhomes. Unfortunately that doesn't yet seem to be the case south of border.

Sam, England with its large population and relatively small landmass poses problems for you. We rarely wild camp now in England only in Scotland. When we go to England it’s in campsites or CLS. Cornwall, the Lake District, and other parts of England are rapidly becoming no go areas for wilders.
Scotland is full of places to wild camp, and in winter we have the place to ourselves. In summer we head for remote places with great scenery, in winter we take advantage of how quiet the places that are busy in summer are, and head there. But we also head to some remote places as well.

Cannot wait to get back up north later this year.

 

[antiquesam]

Perhaps Campra can get things moving then because there are an awful lot of motorhomers in the south of England.

 

[Biggarmac]

Perhaps Campra can get things moving then because there are an awful lot of motorhomers in the south of England.

We are trying. Any help contacting local councils and asking for better treatment will be gratefully received. Councillors listen to the people who are in a position to vote for them. They also listen to the people who shout the loudest. When the local neighbourhood PIA gets on to them about vans parked in their locality they just put up barriers and no overnighting signs to shut the PIA up. We are all too passive. Unless you ask your own council to do something we will get nowhere. You may not want to stop in your council area but others may.

 

[antiquesam]

We are trying. Any help contacting local councils and asking for better treatment will be gratefully received. Councillors listen to the people who are in a position to vote for them. They also listen to the people who shout the loudest. When the local neighbourhood PIA gets on to them about vans parked in their locality they just put up barriers and no overnighting signs to shut the PIA up. We are all to passive. Unless you ask your own council to do something we will get nowhere. You may not want to stop in your council area but others may.

I'm sorry but your organisation has made it clear that I am of no use to you.

 

[Biggarmac]

I'm sorry but your organisation has made it clear that I am of no use to you.

Sorry you feel like that. Anyone can write to their council they don't need Campra for that. Anyway its not my organisation. I am but one small cog in a larger wheel.